Analyzing Poetry

[powens]

Hello everyone!

I wasn't sure where I should post this exactly, but I feel like this section makes sense.


My name is Pat and I'm a senior at the University of Puget Sound in Washington- I'm neither deaf nor hard of hearing, but I am very interested in learning about Deaf culture. It's a topic that I feel like is (unfortunately) not commonly taught about in mainstream education, and so I hope I'm welcomed into this community for the purpose of gaining some sort of understanding about something that I've been ignorant of most of my life.

Anyways, the first step I'm taking to reconcile this incomprehension is writing a paper for my English senior seminar about the differences in the way deaf people and hearing people read English poetry. If anyone would be willing or interested in helping me, I've written a survey to help add some research to my paper. I'd really appreciate any help I can get, but I understand if you are too busy. If you can help, however, please e-mail me.


Thanks everyone!

Pat O.

 

[VamPyroX]

I guess it's more of a matter of their level of understanding with grammar structure and rhyming.

Since poetry often involves rhyming words and following a specific number of words/syllables, it can be difficult for some whose primary language is ASL. ASL doesn't follow the same grammar structure as written English.

Here's an example of an English poem:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet;
And so are you.

Notice how every 2nd line rhymes and how each line follows 4 syllables?

Since ASL doesn't really use "are", "is", and "so". This is probably how it would be done in ASL.

Roses red,
Violet blue,
Sugar sweet;
You like.

('like' is signed as 'same')

Now, the first 3 lines have 3 syllables... but the 4th line has 2 syllables. It also doesn't rhyme.

I remember reading Beowulf when I was in high school. That book was like a super-long poem. Some of the deaf students couldn't understand how it was a poem and became a bit confused with the story.

Of course, this is just my opinion from what I've seen. I could be wrong.